On Ego, the Martial Arts, and Glasser's Theory

Today my five-year-old son and I went to a karate tournament.

It was a tournament that I had competed in years ago, and when I heard that it was going on this weekend, I thought it would be a good opportunity for bonding with my boy. I got a chance to see some old acquaintances, and made a few new friends with the Chinese Martial Arts competitors. There were a lot of things that were the same, and a few that were different. Overall, it felt good, and it motivated me to begin some tournament training after I am done with my 25k in May.

I noticed something.

The tournament director held no title. His name was “Tom,” to those who knew him, or “Mr. Fabiano,” to the rest. This is not just some average Joe who was putting this on. He has been doing this for years. He has turned out some fabulous students—including such celebrities as Taylor Lautner of the motion picture Shark Boy and Lava Girl. Mr. Fabiano’s tournament had first second and third place trophies. Oh and participation medals for all the kids. A class act chock full of good competitors from contemporary Wushu to modern Arnis to traditional Korean and Okinawan Karateka. Kudos, Mr. Fabiano on a dignified and well run event.

See what I have noticed?
There was not a soul that introduced themselves to me or my son as “Dr.” “Professor,” “Master,” or “Grandmaster.”

I am continuously amazed by the number of “master’s” “grandmasters” and “grand-pooh-bah elite,” I find out there at some of these larger events. As a Traditional Chinese martial arts stylist, I tend to hold my standards to those of my teacher—or at least how he explained them to me:
You know you are a master when others begin to address you as such.

Li is certainly a man who has taught students to be masters themselves, yet he still humbly goes by the title Shifu or “Teacher father.”
I find this admirable in the day and age when a black belt is more often bought than earned.

There are numerous organization out there that will “recognize” your “rank,” or award you rank. If you belong to one such organization another will consider you “illegitimate”. This holds true especially in the Korean Karate organizations where politics seems to have superceded the love of the art.
Some self-proclaimed masters manage to go from a 4th degree black belt to a 6th or 7th, without hitting 5th or 6th. They think that no one will notice, but the scrupulous eye of their peers, is ever watching. Martial Artists that seem to have nothing better to do than to looking for some scrap to use in the defamation of the character of one of their own.

Then, we have the breed who doctor certifications or simply make up their own system and award themselves master of the universe.
William Glasser’s psychology describes the five basic needs of the human condition as:

1. Survival
2. Love and Belonging
3. Fun
4. Freedom
5. Power and Recognition

While in Glasser’s theory, none of these needs are negative attributes, I have to wonder what it is about these particular martial artists that drives such a high Recognition need? I mean when it comes to developing events, circumstances, organizations, or the like to draw attention to yourself, your rank, or whatever… When you are continuously searching for some award, certificate, or trophy of such attributes as leadership, or service? Isn’t true leadership to lead by example and not acquisition? Isn’t service supposed to be altruistic?

Jesus people. Puh-LEEZ. Get over yourselves.

I like to compete. Its guys like this out to make a name or a buck that are ruining it for me. I like to perform in front of others… I am not ashamed to admit that I have a high recognition need myself. But I also don’t claim to be anything special. I’m just a guy who likes to kung fu. I’m never going to be a Shifu. I’m never going to run an organization. Hell, I will likely never get a second-degree black belt. I would much rather spend my time on what I already know than trying to convince someone else that I know more.

This situation is really were the Martial Arts have taken another path far from the spiritual foundations that spawned them.

There is one name that I am dying to say… One shining example of how a guy (no matter how hard he has worked to earn them) has let his titles go to his head. But I wont.
I wont even hint at it save to say he is in my current home state of Michigan. I wont because then I would be one of those guys who is out to slander someone else.

So I will see what happens here. Consider this me getting my fun need met.

Shanti.